Top 3 Important Classroom Management Strategies
Classroom management creates a set of rules and guidelines that helps to keep an organized classroom environment. Having a good structure for classroom management opens the door for the teacher to engage in the students learning and development. It would be almost impossible for the teacher to be able to do his/her job effectively if a classroom is disorganized and fails to have effective classroom management expectations in place. To practice good classroom management the teacher must be patient and set clear boundaries throughout the course
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarah C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Classroom Environment
One of these would be the class seating arrangement, with this the teacher would have to take into consideration the room size and also the class size. If the class is small up to 10 or so students then a horseshoe layout would be beneficial as the entire class would have a clear view of the teacher and each other. If the class size was large 25-30 students the best solution would be to use the orderly row layout.
The teachers' attitude is an important part of maintaining a good classroom environment and the teacher must establish a good rapport with the students from day one of the course this can be done by starting with an ice breaker activity and give both the teacher and the students time to learn each other's names and get to know one and other to help the class have a good relaxed atmosphere.
Using positive eye contact is beneficial so where possible the teacher shouldn’t spend too long with his/her back to the class, this can be made possible by using equipment such as an overhead projector or even just a signing students to write on the board on behalf of the teacher.
Also Read: TEFL Alumni Interview with Priscila Silva
Balancing TTT
It’s also important when creating an effective class, too much teacher talk time has its disadvantages the main one is if the teacher is talking the students are listening so they aren't practising their English by talking to either themselves or the teacher in English, teacher talk time does however have an advantage whilst listening to the teacher they are being exposed to a fluent English conversation so although it’s beneficial it should be kept to a minimum to keep students engaged.
Whilst talking in English the teacher must speak slowly and clearly at all times but most importantly whilst giving instructions. If the teacher is starting an activity he/she must use simple language when explaining the instructions and using visual clues if needed to help to understand. The teacher should also check before the activities start that everybody understands.
Classroom Environment
Moving back on to classroom rapport and ensuring the classroom has a calm relaxed atmosphere this can be done by ensuring the teacher goes into the class with a positive attitude, as long as the teacher acts like he/she enjoys their job and enters with a smile the teachers are more likely to relax and take part in activities given. Depending on the age of the students depends on whether problem behaviour may occur. This is more likely to happen whilst teaching a class of young learners, there are many reasons why students may display problem behaviour a few examples are family problems, boredom peer pressure some of these examples the teacher can control some that he/she can’t. The teacher just has to remain calm and consistent as well as set firm boundaries which may prevent some arising in the first place. Learning environments will have disciplinary codes which must always be followed by the teachers when dealing with problem behaviour.
Are you ready to teach English abroad or online?
Apply now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad!
Send us an email or call us toll-free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today.
Related Articles:
- Differences between Young Learners and Adult Learners in the TEFL Environment
- How Learning A Foreign Language Made Me a Better ESL Teacher
- The 5 Best Places to Learn French When Teaching English Abroad
- Top 5 Skills Teachers Need To Set Their Students Up For Success
- 4 Super Easy Tips for Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners
- All the Documents You Will Need to Teach English Abroad
